Thicker Than Water
by Tigerion
Summary: Finding Jack was the easy part. Getting home alive was proving to be rather difficult...


**Author's Note: _Why isn't there more Bobby Mercer whump? He's delicious and therefore must be whumped more... __  
><em>**

**Disclaimer: _I don't own any of these boys... sadly..._**

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><p>Hands were tugging and pulling at him, trying to get him to stand. If he didn't know any better he would say that the movements were frenzied. <em>Where was he anyways<em>? He shivered, the air is _fucking cold_. Bobby cursed mentally as he let the persistent tugging drag him back into reality. His hip felt like it was on fire and he slowly pressed his palm against it. Bad idea. The oldest of the Mercer boys yanked his hand away from the area like he'd been shocked. His fingers were red and sticky. _Odd_.

The voice that had been nagging him fell silent and Bobby finally focused his attention on the figure beside him. A groan forced its way up his throat as he slowly began to sit up. "Fuck." He wasn't even aware of forming the word but it seemed to slip out anyways. Moving hurt, moving was _bad_. Hands started to tug at him again and Bobby slapped them away in annoyance. "St'p it." The words came out slurred and heavy.

"Get up Bobby." The voice was shaky.

"Gimme a moment." Inhaling deeply, Bobby pushed up with his arms, slowly righting himself into a kneeling position. It took him a few seconds to realize that Jack was the one pestering him. What the hell was Jack doing out at this time of night?

"Get up man, _now_." Jack heaved and staggered, finally lifting his older brother to his feet. He was rewarded by a strangled gasp followed by a weak slap from Bobby.

"Fuck off Fairy." Bobby muttered, trying to push his younger brother away. _Damn__, his hip hurt_. He put his weight onto his left leg, hoping that would help ease the pain.

"Bobby, we need to go." Jack started to pull him, forcing Bobby's legs to shuffle after him. He grunts, Bobby's weight suddenly falling into him as the latter's legs started to fold in protest. "Get your ass up and move."

A pained huff is Jack's only response as Bobby gritted his teeth before slowly managing to straighten his legs again. "The hell happened?" His memory was foggy, probably because of the steady throbs of pain radiating through his body.

"I snuck out." The confession was sullen and Jack scuffs the ground with his shoe. He glanced over at his brother, "keep moving." Jack was nervous, afraid that with Bobby incapacitated the thugs would come back for him. After all, _it was_ his fault that the oldest of the Mercer boys was hurt. If Bobby hadn't shown up, Jack was pretty sure he'd be in a nasty situation himself. "You have impeccable timing." The answering grunt was weak.

"Put that on the fucking tombstone." Bobby snickered. "Bobby Mercer- Master of Impeccable Timing." He forces Jack to stop, needing a moment to collect his breath. He's caught by surprise when Jack socks him in the shoulder.

"Don't say that." Jack's face is serious.

"Its a joke, Fairy." Bobby shifts, turning away when a grimace crossed his face. "What were you doing at a bar?"

Jack frowns at him before helping his brother to moving again. "I was...meeting a girl."

"At this time of night? You have school in the morning you dumb ass." Bobby snarls the words as he glares at his younger brother. "They were gonna kill you, weren't they?"

"Maybe." Jack avoids the obvious answer as he quickens his pace. Bobby was breathing hard but he was keeping pace. _Good_. Jack hated violence. "I tried to talk to the wrong girl, ok?"

Bobby stays quiet, it was getting harder to keep walking. Bile was starting to rise in his throat and he swallowed thickly. "Mom knows you snuck out."

"I was hoping she didn't." Jack mumbles, jerking at the sound of a different pair of shoes padding behind them. He can feel Bobby tense, his older brother's torso twisting as he looked behind them. "All good?"

Bobby hesitates, "Yeah, its fan-fucking-tastic." He's breathing hard, each inhale getting increasingly more shallow. _Damn, this hurts. _

The footsteps were getting closer, the pace picking up.

"Fuck." The curse flies from his mouth without thought. "Go home Jack." Bobby pulls away from his little brother, stumbling as he puts weight on his right leg. They weren't to far from the house, it was just a street over from where they were. A dog starts to bark as they pass a fence and Bobby jerks away when Jack tries to pull him along. Weary hazel eyes look down at Jack. They were cloudy and dull; filled with pain. "I can't go any faster than this. Go home and get help."

Jack's eyes were wide, "Screw that Bobby." A glance behind him tells him that the figure is close, very close. Getting behind his brother he starts to shove him, ignoring Bobby's muffled grunts of pain. "You _are not_ allowed to add 'martyr' to that damn tombstone."

Bobby huffs pathetically. The way his lips turn down tell Jack that he's not happy. "House."

Jack bites his lip before nodding, "Ok Bobby." He helps his brother move towards the porch. He feels Bobby tense as they near the stairs, clearly not looking forward to them. He feels more like he's dragging the elder Mercer up the stairs but he doesn't have the time to feel bad about it. He led Bobby through the front door, letting go of him.

Bobby staggers, the sudden lack of support making him fall back against the wall. "Jack... move the couch." He sees his brother nod before straining to push the old couch in front of the door. Bobby manages to join him, ignoring the fire racing across his hip and up his side. "Get upstairs." The command is growled as Bobby shoves the old couch, making it block the door.

"Get up the fucking stairs Jack." Hazel eyes harden as they glare at his younger brother. "You get upstairs and you _stay there_."

The tone of his voice makes Jack flinch before nodding slowly. "Alright, but..."

"Shut up Jack." The retort is automatic and makes a small smile pull at Jack's lips. Bobby still had enough energy in him to be, well, _Bobby_. "You stay up there while I take a nap on this couch." That said, Bobby finally allowed his legs to give out. Dust rose up in a cloud as his body hit the couch. They were lucky that the windows had been boarded up by someone else and the oldest of Mercer boys felt himself slowly going limp. His body was exhausted and he needed whatever sleep he could get.

When Jack ventured down the stairs a few hours later he smiled at the site of his older brother sleeping before going back up. Maybe everything would be ok...

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> What do you guys think? I haven't read the book, so I'm going off of the movie for character behavior. Please review, they make my day!


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